’ Tis already the season for motorists to beware of deer on the move due to the cooler weather and the start of the hunting season.

In October, 36 accidents out of the 65 reported to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department were dear-related. Thirty-four total accidents were reported in September and 15 of those involved deer.

Those statistics indicate that, for the past two months, almost 50 percent of the reported motor vehicle accidents were deer-related, and the peak season for accidents has another month to go. October added another animal-related accident when a woman hit an animal on Greene Settlement Road on the 19th that turned out to be a bobcat.

This month started with more of the same. An ambulance struck a deer Nov. 1 on Highway 22 and out of 14 accidents reported over the weekend, nine of those were deer-related.

Statistics compiled by Jones County Sheriff’s Department clerk Debbie Douglas show the most vulnerable time for motorists to come in contact with deer is from dusk to daylight. Out of the 36 accidents in October, 17 took place from 1-8 a.m. and 16 from 4 p.m. to midnight.